2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu

1
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Color Imaging
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
2
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Describing Chromatic lights
Radiance (watt):
Total amount of energy flow from the light source.
Luminance (lumens, lm):
measure of amount of energy an observer
perceives from a light source. It varies based on
distance from the source, wavelength, etc.
Brightness:
a subjective descriptor, describing color sensation.
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
3
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Primary Colors
Primary colors of
light (additive):
Red (700 nm), 65%
cones sensitive to
red light.
Green (546.1nm),
33%
Blue(435.8nm). 2%
cones sensitive to
blue light.
Mixing of R,G,B may
NOT generate ALL
visible colors.
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
4
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Primary and Secondary Colors of
Lights and Pigments
Primary colors of
pigment
(subtractive):
magenta,
cyan, and
yellow.


2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
5
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Characterization of Color
Colors are distinguished from one another based on
brightness, hue, and saturation.
Hue:
an attribute associated with the dominant wavelength in a
mixture of light waves. It represents the dominant color as
perceived by an observer.
Saturation:
specifies relative purity or the amount of white lights mixed
with a hue.
Hue and saturation together are called chromaticity.
Example: color palette
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
6
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Chromaticity Diagram
Tri-chromatic coefficients:
Let X, Y, Z: tri-stimulus values
representing the amounts of red,
green, and blue needed to form any
particular color.




Since x + y + z = 1, x and y along
will make a chromaticity diagram
CIE Chromaticity diagram
x-axis: red, y-axis: green
Color on boundary are completely
saturated.
Saturation @ pts of equal energy is
zero
, ,
X Y
x y
X Y Z X Y Z
Z
z
X Y Z
= =
+ + + +
=
+ +
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
7
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Color Gamut
Any 3 points in the
chromaticity diagram
can produce all
colors within that
triangle. Due to the
tongue-shape
indicates that no
mixing of three
primary color can
produce ALL
possible colors
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
8
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Color Models
RGB color model: monitor, video
CMY (CMYK) color model: printing
HIS: close to HVS


2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
9
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
RGB Color Model
R, G, B at 3 axis ranging
in [0 1] each
Gray scale along the
diagonal
If each component is
quantized into 256 levels
[0:255], the total number
of different colors that
can be produced is (2
8
)
3

= 2
24
= 16,777,216
colors.
RGB safe color:
Quantize each
components into 6
levels from 0 to 255.
24-bit RGB color cube
RGB safe color cube
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
10
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
HSI Color Model
Hue:
an attribute describing
pure color
Saturation:
The degree of which
a pure color is diluted
by white light.
HSI model
Hue and saturation lie
in a plane
perpendicular to an
intensity axis.
2002-2003 by Yu Hen Hu
11
ECE533 Digital Image Processing
Color Coordinate Transform
RGB CYM



HSI RGB





Others see text book
RGB HSI
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